cc.goldenbuddha-第51部分

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　at　an　altitude　of　fifteen　thousand　feet；　just　above　a　cloud　layer　that　hid　the　airplane　from　view。　Sucking　on　oxygen　bottles　as　they　made　their　descent；　they　had　floated　around　near　the　target　before　directing　their　parachutes　in　arcing　corkscrews　until　they　lined　up　above　the　helicopter　pad　on　the　offshore　rig。　
　The　rig　was　twenty　miles　off　the　coast　of　Vietnam；　eight　hundred　miles　from　Macau；　and　owned　by　Zapata　Petroleum　of　Houston；　Texas。　George　Herbert　Walker　Bush　owned　the　panyand　someone　from　Virginia　had　asked　him　for　a　favor。　
　Tracy　Pilston　landed　nearly　dead　center　on　the　X　in　the　center　of　the　pad；　Judy　Michaels　only　six　feet　away。　It　was　Chuck　Gunderson　I　who　had　the　worst　landing。　He　alit　on　the　side　of　the　elevated　pad。　The　breeze　tugged　at　his　parachute　before　he　could　cut　it　away；　and　had　Del　Chiglack　not　grabbed　him；　he　might　have　gone　over　the　side。　
　Once　his　chute　was　free　and　Chiglack　had　yanked　him　back　from　the　edge；　Gunderson　smiled　and　spoke。　
　〃My　friends　called；〃　he　said。　〃I　believe　we　have　a　reservation　for　three。〃　
　Chiglack　spit　some　snuff　juice　into　the　wind。
　〃Wele　aboard；〃he　said。　〃Your　ride　will　be　here　soon。〃
　〃Thanks；〃　Gunderson　said。　〃Now；〃　Chiglack　said；　〃if　you　and　the　ladies　will　e　inside；　I'll　buy　you　a　cup　of　coffee。〃　
　
　BACK　IN　THE　control　room；　Hanley　turned　to　Cabrillo。　〃We　just　received　word　from　Tiny；〃　he　said。　〃They　arrived　safe　and　sound　with　the　bonds。　They're　awaiting　a　ride　home。〃　
　Cabrillo　nodded。　
　〃You　look　beat；〃　Hanley　said。　〃Why　don't　you　catch　a　few　hours'　sleep　and　let　me　hold　down　the　fort。〃　
　Cabrillo　was　too　tired　to　argue。　He　rose　and　started　for　the　door。　〃Wake　me　if　you　need　me。〃　
　〃Don't　I　always？〃　Hanley　said。　
　Once　Cabrillo　was　walking　down　the　hall　to　his　stateroom；　Hanley　turned　to　Stone。　〃Truitt　will　be　here　in　a　few　minutes　to　relieve　you。　Take　four　hours　and　get　some　sleep。〃　
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Stone　said。　
　Then　Hanley　accessed　the　puter　next　to　his　seat　and　began　to　read　the　plan　again。　
　
　LANGSTON　OVERHOLT　SLEPT　all　the　way　to　Paris。　The　Challenger　jet　he　was　riding　inside　was　registered　to　a　pany　named　Strontium　Holding　PLC；　which　was　allegedly　based　in　Basel；　Switzerland。　In　reality；　the　jet's　tires　had　never　touched　Swiss　soil。　
　The　Challenger　CL…604　had　been　purchased　from　a　broker　in　London　using　CIA　funds　and　outfitted　with　advanced　electronics　at　a　shop　in　Alexandria；　Virginia；　near　Boiling　Air　Force　Base。　The　large　Canadian…made　business　jet　seated　ten　people；　had　a　cruise　speed　of　487　miles　per　hour　and　a　range　of　4；628　miles。　
　The　distance　from　Virginia　to　Paris　was　just　over　3；800　miles；　where　the　jet　was　refueled　and　provisions　were　loaded　aboard。　The　second　leg　of　the　trip；　Paris　to　New　Delhi；　would　cover　4；089　miles。　The　first　leg　of　the　journey　required　eight　hours　to　plete；　the　second　leg　was　made　with　a　favorable　tailwind　and　took　just　over　seven　hours。　Within　an　hour　of　receiving　word　from　Cabrillo　at　6　a。m。　Macau　time　that　the　Corporation　was　in　possession　of　the　Golden　Buddha；　Overholt　had　left　
　
　
　U。S。　soil。　Virginia　time　had　been　6　p。m。　Good　Friday。　By　the　time　the　Challenger　touched　down；　the　time　changes　and　flight　time　made　it　9　a。m。　Saturday。　
　The　trip　by　turboprop　to　Little　Lhasa　in　northern　India　took　just　over　two　more　hours；　so　it　was　almost　exactly　noon　on　Saturday　when　Overholt　finally　met　with　the　Dalai　Lama　again。　The　revered　leader　of　Tibet　had　made　it　clear　that　if　there　was　to　be　a　coup　d'etat；　it　needed　to　take　place　on　Easter　Sunday；　March　31；　exactly　forty…six　years　after　his　being　forced　into　exile。　
　That　gave　Overholt　and　the　Corporation　twenty…four　hours　to　make　a　miracle　happen。　
　
　CARL　GANNON　HAD　been　earning　his　keep　the　last　several　days。　After　procuring　the　truck　in　Thimbu；　Bhutan；　and　plotting　a　route　into　Tibet；　he　had　received　a　shopping　list　of　tasks　from　the　control　room　on　the　Oregon。　As　the　Corporation's　head　scrounger；　Gannon　was　used　to　acplishing　the　impossible。　To　obtain　what　was　required；　Gannon　would　have　to　use　the　vast　network　of　contacts　he　had　carefully　　nurtured　over　the　years。　
　The　funding　would　e　from　the　Corporation's　bank　on　the　island　of　Vanuatu　in　the　South　Pacific　Ocean；　and　the　Oregon　had　made　it　clear　that　time；　not　cost；　was　the　object。　Gannon　loved　it　when　he　received　directives　like　this。　Using　a　laptop　puter　linked　to　a　cell　phone；　he　began　typing　in　a　stack　of　telephone　numbers；　codes　and　passwords　from　memory　at　seventy　words　a　minute。　
　Eighty　Stinger　missiles　were　bought　from　a　friendly　Middle　Eastern　nation；　with　delivery　arranged　to　Bhutan　using　a　South　African　…I　pany　that　had　never　failed　to　ply。　Eight　Bell　212　helicopters　with　｜　extra　fuel　pods　from　an　Indonesian　pany　that　specialized　in　offshore　oil　work　arrived　to　deliver　the　load　of　missiles　and　small　arms。　Eighteen　mercenary　pilots　from　throughout　the　Far　East　were　recruited；　sixteen　to　fly；　two　extras　in　case　someone　got　sick。　Fuel　pods；　food　for　all　the　　participants；　and　a　series　of　hangars　manned　by　Philippine　Special　Forces　guards　were　secretly　arranged。　
　Gannon's　last　item　was　the　strangest。　The　Oregon　wanted　to　know　if　he　could　procure　a　large　but　slow…moving　plane　in　Vietnam。　That；　and　a　winch　with　a　hundred　feet　of　thin　but　strong　steel　cable　that　could　be　mounted　on　the　floor　of　the　plane。　It　took　Gannon　a　couple　of　telephone　calls；　but　he　found　a　1985　Russian…built　Antonov　AN…2　Colt　owned　by　a　Laotian　pany　that　had　a　logging　contract　with　the　Vietnamese　government。　The　big　biplane；　with　a　wingspan　of　fifty…eight　feet；　a　cruise　speed　of　only　120　miles　an　hour　and　a　stall　speed　of　58；　could　best　be　described　as　a　flying　pickup　truck。　The　large　interior　was　mainly　cargo　space　and　she　could　carry　nearly　five　thousand　pounds　of　payload。　
　The　winch　he　bought　new　from　a　dealer　in　Ho　Chi　Minh　City　on　a　pany　credit　card。　
　After　finishing　the　arrangements　for　the　plane　and　winch；　Gannon　slurped　the　last　drop　from　a　bottle　of　Coca…Cola　and　dialed　the　Oregon　on　the　satellite　telephone。　He　waited　as　the　number　beeped　and　popped　while　the　signal　was　scrambled。　
　〃Go　ahead；　Carl；〃　Hanley　said　a　minute　later。　
　〃I've　got　the　plane；　Max；〃　he　said；　〃but　you　didn't　ask　for　a　pilot。〃　
　〃One　of　our　guys　will　be　flying；〃　Hanley　said。　
　〃It's　a　Russian　Antonov；〃　Gannon　noted。　〃I　doubt　we　have　someone　typed　in　this　model。〃　
　〃We'll　download　some　manuals　off　the　Internet；〃　Hanley　said。　〃That's　about　all　we　can　do。〃　
　〃She's　fueled　and　waiting　at　the　airport　in　old　Saigon；〃　Gannon　said。　〃The　mechanic　should　be　finished　bolting　the　winch　in　place　in　the　next　hour。　I'm　faxing　a　picture。〃　
　〃We'll　be　seeing　you　soon；〃　Hanley　said。　〃Everything　okay　in　the　meantime？〃　
　〃Smooth　as　a　baby's　bottom；〃　Gannon　said　easily。　
　
　ON　THE　ZAPATA　Petroleum　rig　off　Vietnam；　Delbert　Chiglack　took　the　sheet　that　had　just　printed　out　of　the　fax　machine；　then　called　once　more　to　the　ining　helicopter。　When　finished；　he　returned　to　the　lunchroom　on　the　rig　and　handed　the　sheet　to　Gunderson。　
　〃This　just　came　for　you。〃　
　〃Thanks；〃　Gunderson　said　quickly；　staring　at　the　picture　of　the　biplane　the　Oregon　had　sent；　then　folding　it　and　placing　it　in　his　flight…suit　pocket。　
　Just　then；　a　siren　on　the　rig　sounded　twice。　
　〃Your　ride's　here；〃　Chiglack　said。　
　Walking　the　trio　out　to　just　below　the　helicopter　pad；　Chiglack　waited　until　the　helicopter　touched　down；　then　shouted　over　the　noise。　
　〃Up　the　ladder；　heads　down；　the　door　should　be　open；〃　he　said。　
　〃Thanks　for　the　hospitality；〃　Michaels　shouted。　
　〃Watch　your　hair；　ladies；〃　Chiglack　called　as　they　started　up　the　stairs。　
　Four　minutes　later　the　helicopter　was　airborne　again；　heading　back　toward　land。　Chiglack　shook　his　head　as　the　helicopter　retreated　in　the　distance。　Then　he　walked　back　to　his　office　to　report　his　guests　had　left　the　rig。　
　Pilston　tapped　on　Gunderson's　arm　as　the　helicopter　approached　the　airport　and　located　the　Antonov　from　the　air。　Slowing　his　speed；　the　pilot　neared　the　large　biplane；　then　hovered　in　the　air　above　the　tarmac。　After　touching　down　smoothly　some　fifty　feet　away；　the　copilot　unbuckled　his　belt；　then　slipped　back　and　unlatched　the　door　to　the　Bell。　
　〃Later；　alligators；〃　he　shouted。　
　Gunderson；　Pilston　and　Michaels　bowed　their　heads　and　sprinted　away　from　the　helicopter。　
　Once　they　were　clear；　the　pilot　throttled　up；　pulled　up　on　the　collective　and　moved　the　cyclic　so　the　Bell　rose　in　the　air　and　made　a　sweeping　turn。　The　helicopter　disappeared　into　the　haze　as　it　flew　off　to　the　south。　
　The　trio　was　ten　feet　from　the　biplane　when　Michaels　spoke。　
　〃What　are　we　going　to　do　with　this　beast？〃　she　asked。　
　〃The　plan　is；〃　Gunderson　said　as　he　approached　the　open　door　and　stared　inside；　〃to　fly　out　to　the　Oregon。〃　
　〃What　on　earth　for？〃　Pilston　asked。　
　〃Our　chairman　has　a　meeting　to　attend。〃　
　
　GUNDERSON　HANDED　THE　photo　of　the　biplane　to　the　copilot。　〃She's　on　the　north　side　of　the　airport；〃　he　said　as　the　copilot　clipped　the　photo　to　a　strap　around　his　knee。　〃If　you　can　land　nearby；　we'd　sure　appreciate　it。〃　
　The　copilot　replaced　his　headset　over　his　ears；　then　relayed　the　information　to　the　pilot；　who　made　an　okay　sign　with　his　fingers。